Indy coach Jim O'Brien was refreshingly candid about his game plan. He's going to try and pick up Nash full court on all dead ball situations and chase him over screens on the pick and roll and trust the weak side defenders to know when to help and when not to

Brandon Rush will start and try and crowd JRich while at the same time preventing him from getting easy driving lanes. Good luck with that. He called Nash the most crafty point guard to ever play in the league. He also pointed out the Suns 30th ranked defense and so he wants his team to attack and not settle for bad shots

Earl Barron will continue to start for the time being. Gentry was pleased with the way the team played with him on the floor even if his stats weren't good. He also is trying to get the rotations more solidified so guys know their roles like they did last year

In the Suns locker room is a new board on the wall that has the top 15 teams listed by opponent FG% and then shows the Suns, currently at 30th place

They've also added a chart on the white board that tracks each player's deflections, steals and then blocks and charges

There's an old adage in business that what you track is what you value so by publicly and visibly tracking these stats, Gentry is reinforcing his emphasis on defense. It's a solid move from a management perspective

This is a winnable game for the Suns but by no means a "should win". The Pacers are playing well and do good on the road. They are rested while the Suns are most definitely tired. Guys didn't get much sleep last night after arriving home late from the airport so they are going to have to really power through tonight and dig deep to get a win.